Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin, Inc.

Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin (SFGoodwill) is a non-profit social enterprise, whose mission is to train and place local residents with signifcant barriers to employment in relevant jobs. In the U.S., 85% of textiles end up in landfill, and in San Francisco, 4,500 lbs. of textiles enter landfills every hour of every day, which equals 39 million pounds on an annual basis. SFGoodwill receives millions of items and materials generously donated by the residents and businesses in our region. We divert them from local landfills, giving them a second life through sales in Goodwill stores, ReCompute and eCommerce businesses. The revenue generated in sales funded SFGoodwill’s job training and placement programs for people ready to transform their lives through the power of work.

Sustainability Achievements:

In 2015: manufactured and launched the innovative tech-enabled goBIN™! making donations of textiles more convenient. In 2015: diverted 25 million pounds of items, including textiles from local landfills.
In 2016: implemented the Employee Recycling Program, diverting 80% from landfill to compost and recycling.
In 2016: launched Employee Energy Management Program to reduce energy use.

Sustainability Challenges:

Landfill Diversion: SFGoodwill receives millions of pounds of materials, in which a significant amount can't currently be reused or recycled.